Can A Canadian Superhero Save the Mall?

Canadian superhero, Captain Canuck, swoops into the Portage Mall Saturday, June 28 to save it in time for Canada Day! Actually, it’s a celebration of the release of the first annual deluxe Canada Day Edition of the famed comic series, which you can pick up from retailers in the Mall.

Packed with nostalgia that dates further back than the Mall itself, Captain Canuck not only holds the power to rescue us from evil forces but to remind a generation who grew up hanging out in the Mall of all that was once good. Later issues were likely read at the Mall outside Long John Silver’s arcade, Hans Christian Toys or by Fuzzy Orange while we listened to some hair metal on Walkmans.

Captain Canuck #1

The original issue came out in 1975, just four years before the Mall opened, and was produced by creator Richard Comely’s Comley Comics out of neighbouring town, Winnipeg. Where else would a truly Canadian Hero come from other than Manitoba, the heart of Canada?

I have to admit I was one of those people who grabbed the first issue and eagerly waited for follow-up issues to come out. The look and feel were amazing, since it was produced on a higher quality paper and had more vivid colours than typical comics of the day. It popped out when sitting next to my American produced Canadian Superheroes, Alpha Flight.

Comley borrowed money to publish the series independently. The first issue sold for 35 cents and had Canadians line up for one of the 200,000 copies printed. By comparison to today, the new X-Men #1 sold only 140,000. The Canuck series has sold over 2 million copies and currently boasts an animated web series and a movie in development. A testament to it’s long term appeal. The National Archives of Canada even went as far as purchasing most of the original artwork because of it’s cultural significance.

If you’re a Captain Canuck fan check out the website CaptainCanuck.com and make sure you get to the Mall Saturday, June 28 for your very own Canada Day Edition.